Beijing appears to calculate that relying on gray zone opertions, while keeping the PLAN surface ships largely in the background, will enable it to achieve its sovereignty goals over the maritime features in the SCS, while minimizing the risk of further escalation
@Kunal_Chonkar
New Delhi: Intensifying efforts to strengthen its position and administrative control over much of the disputed territory in the South China Sea (SCS) at minimal material or diplomatic cost, China has now started fast-tracking gray zone operations in the region. Days after it released a new draft law arming its Coast Guard with rights to use weapons against foreign vessels in the SCS, Beijing has now directed state-owned enterprises to hasten operations advancing Chinese interests in disputed areas, starting with the Philippines.
Reports indicate that apart from evicting the Philippine Air Force from its 49-year-old base in Sangley, Cavite under the guise of constructing an international airport, Chinese companies have now started targeting the central port in the Manila Bay, and even planning major activities in the SCS.
The plans to overtake the air force base in Sangley started taking shape in August 2019. The Philippine Air Force was directed to vacate the 77-hecatre-wide base by President Rodrigo Duterte. As per records, he instructed Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade to transfer there the general aviation from Manila international airport. The transfer witnessed the loss of the 15th Strike Wing, 451st Supply Squadron, 570th Composite Tactical Wing, and 1398th Dental Dispensary of the Air Force.
Soon, the once military base, runway and hangars were used by small private airplanes transporting light consignments, meat and fisheries cargo. The Air Force base was relocated to the Laguindingan field, Mindanao.
According to analysts, the deal of the Sangley base was agreed during Duerte’s fifth visit to Beijing. After his meeting with the Chinese leadership, Duerte accepted a 40-percent ownership in the company, which is set to carry out the construction of the Sangley international airport. Details of the project reveal that Duerte’s administration will be borrowing around $11.4 billion from Beijing for the development of the airport.
Also Read: China tightens regulations of foreigners’ religious activities in Mainland
“The company, with which Duerte signed partnership and the one which will execute the project, is the state-run firm China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). Interestingly, this is the same company which architectured the concretization of seven Philippine-claimed reefs in the SCS. The reefs are now island-fortresses primarily serving as missile-submarine bastions for the PLAN,” a defence analyst said.
Maritime Plots and Militia
Apart from the Sangley base project, Beijing-controlled companies have now reportedly started working on the cementing of the shoals and reefs in the waters surrounding the Philippines as well. Reports indicate that the CCCC has finalized plans to start the dredging the waters few nautical miles away from the Scarborough Shoal region. As per a Manila military report, the Tianjin Dredging Company, a subsidiary of the CCCC, has been seen operating in waters surrounding the Luzon island.
“The Scarborough Shoal lies in an isolated northeast quadrant of the disputed Spratly Islands and is thus perhaps even more important to Beijing. If Chinese companies were to successfully dredge the Scarborough Shoal, and construct a dual-use facilities capable of hosting military operations, then it would be a game changer for the region,” the analyst explained.
Articles published by local media also claim that hundreds of Chinese maritime militia trawlers continue to surround the town of Thitu in Palawan, disrupting air and sea-lifts. Their aggressive action is muscled by the Chinese coastguard vessels which constantly harass and threaten Filipino sailors who bring food and supplies to the Marines at Second Thomas Shoal, also located in Palawan.
“They are disrupting all local activities and even fishing by the locals in their own waters. These are tradecraft moves of the Chinese maritime militia and the navy, which have at times even sunk small boats and arrested several fishermen for allegedly violating some Chinese maritime law,” a former Philippine military officer said, requesting anonymity.
Connecting Chinese Dots
According to the former officer, Chinese companies have also found their way into several domestic security projects of Manila. In September 2019, Manila’s Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana handed the Chinese state-run firm China Telecom (China Tel) the rights to use Philippine military camps for erecting Beijing’s cell towers.
“Check all reports on this China Tel, this company is notorious for being the monitoring agency of Beijing. Through this company, China could very well be tracking and tracing all the activities of our armed forces. Their equipment could be used for spying and even cyber-sabotage,” the officer alleged.
Records indicate that when it comes to China Tel, it was again Duerte who played a part in extending the priveleges of constructing cell towers. As per company records, China Tel is a 40-percent partner of Dito Telecommunity, which is Philippine’s third largest telecommunication firm. Dito Telecommunity is owned by Dennis Uy, a close friend of Duterte, who was also the biggest contributor to his campaign for the Presidency in 2016.
Vietnam, Indonesia, and more recently Malaysia is pushing against Chinese encroachments along with showing resistance against the Chinese hegemony in the South China Sea, a recent turn around has been Philippines. From being the only Southeast Asian country who won the only international arbitration award against China in the roiling SCS issue has been heavily criticized by their own for the deal of the Sangley base. One of their own retired naval officer in a social media post criticized the Manila administration for pointing a ‘dagger at the country’s heart’ by finalizing the deal with the Chinese. The inroads that the Chinese have created in Manilla will be a dent in the overall block that has been historically against China’s claim to the whole of the SCS.-(With Inputs From Namrata Hasija)
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